Double-acting latch



June 24, 1924. 1.4

C. WITTWER DOUBLE ACTING LATCH Filed June 23. 1923 v H .1. 11* 2 I C.WITTVVEE) INVENTOR.

' I BY g ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1924.

NETEE DOUBLE-ACTING LATCH.

Application filed June 23, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. OONsTANTINE lVrrrwER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Neligh, in the county of Antelope and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doublei'icting Latches, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to door latches, being especially designed forlatching the door in open position in the same manner that it is latchedin closed position, and whereby the latch may be unlatched from eitherposition by simply turning the knob or handle. The object-of myinvention is the provision of a device whereby the common spring latchmay be utilized for the purpose of latching the door in open, as well asin closed position. In addition to the altered features of the latchbolt, I provide a novel catch for the latch bolt, which catch may bemade to serve also as a door stop to prevent injury to the wall of theroom.

Having in View these objects and others which will appear in thedescription, I will now refer to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 showsthe latch as applied to a barn door, the view showing the door as heldlatched in open position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the door and the adjoining wall, showingthe latch bolt engaged by the catch.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that in Figure 2, but on a somewhat largerscale,

showing parts in section, and showing also a modification for utilizingthe device as a door stop.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the head of the spring pressed latchbolt.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the latchbolt is engaged by the catch element.

My invention comprises the ordinary spring pressed latch bolt having itshead modified as shown in Figures 3 and 4. A portion of the bevelledside of the bolt head between the sides is cut away,the two sides of thecut-away portion being substantially perpendicular to each other. Theopposite side of the bolt head is also cut away or bevelled. This leavesa structure which in I cross section appears as shown in Figure 3,

wherein the numeral 10 designates the latch bolt. The right-angledcut-away portion is bounded by the walls 11 at its opposite ends SerialNo. 647,273.

and by the walls 12 and 13, the wall 12 being in the plane of movementof the latch bolt 10 while the wall 13 lies across this plane. Theopposite surface of the latch bolt-1O is cut away between the walls 11to form an inclined wall 14. The meeting edge of the walls 12 and 14lies within the space originally occupied by the bolt head.

F or the purpose of holding the door latched. in open position, Iprovide a hook or catch which is adapted to cooperate with the abovedescribed bolt head. This catch may be made in any of numerous forms,two of which I have shown in the drawings. The catch may be made of anysuitable material, and it is preferably rigid rather than resilient. Thecatch in all of its forms has means for securing it to the wall againstwhich the door swings, and it also has a hooked extremity for engagingthe wall 12 of the latch bolt 10, the hooked extremity being designatedby the numeral 15. In some cases, as with doors in a house, it isdesirable also to have a door stop, and for this purpose I have providedan abutment 16 on the catch element. The abutment 16 may be faced by abumper 17 of rubber, leather, or other suitable material.

It will readily be seen that when the door is fully opened, the bevelsurface 14 of the latch bolt will strike the hooked extremity 15 of thecatch element. Owing to the nonresilient character of the catch element,the pressure of the hook end 15 on the bevel 14 will cause the bolt 10to be forced inwardly against its spring, thus permitting the hook 15 topass over the edge of the bolt 10 and to engage the surface 12. When theparts are in this position the door can be closed only by the turning ofthe door knob or otherwise releasing the latch bolt from engagement withthe hook 15. It should also be noted that the width of the abutment 16is such that it can not engage the bevel 14 to thereby slip over theedge of the latch bolt when opening the door.

I am aware that other devices have been invented for the purpose oflatching the door in open position. So far as I know, all of these aresupplementary to the usual looks or latches used on the door, and innone of them is the latch opened from both of its latched positions bythe same means. It is obvious that this feature is of great importance,since it simplifies unlatching the latch, especially when closing thedoors said faces intersecting in a line at the forward edge of saidlatch bolt, said latch bolt being provided with a cut-away portion atits forward edge between its sides presenting a surface which isparallel to said first named face and presenting also a second surfacewhich is inclined rearwardly from said first named surface to said firstnamed face, said two surfaces intersecting rearwardly of theintersection of said two faces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CONSTANTINE WVITTVVER.

